Refurbished Clerys reopens

Clerys department store on Dublin’s O’Connell Street has reopened having been shut since July due to flood damage.

The 160-year-old shop has been completely restored and refurbished.

All 86 staff who were temporarily laid off will be returning to work.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan opened the store this morning.

He said Clerys has been synonymous with O’Connell Street since the 19th Century.

The original store was destroyed during the 1916 Rising and Mr Deenihan presented Clerys with a copy of files from the National Archives of Ireland, which included the claim document made by the company for compensation.

Records show that a claim for £78,557, one shilling and eight pence was made for the loss of stock, furniture and fittings.

Clerys is now owned by OCS Operations, a subsidiary of private equity and investment company Gordon Brothers Europe.